Controlling attachment for dumping-wagons.



H. L PHELPS.

CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT FOB DUMPING WAGONS. Arrucmmn rn-sn lmmav, 1912.

hwfifiwa Patented July 7, 19m

. Invento Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nonnn L. rminrs, or 'MAn'rINsBUnG, WEST VIRGINIA.

CONTROLLING A'r'rAonI/inNr non DUMPING-WAGONS.

Patented July '7, 1914..

Application filed March 27, 1912. SerialNo. 686,601.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER L. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Controlling Attachment for Dumping-VVagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a controlling attachment for dumping wagons whereby, through the manipulation of a single lever, the cable, chain or the like extending to the movable bottom section or sections of the wagon body may bewound, locked against unwinding, and released, at the will of the operator.

A further object is to provide mechanism of this character all parts of which are car ried by a single base or attaching plate, the structure being simple and compact.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides'in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is-claimed, without departin from the spirit of the invention.

In t e accompanying drawings-the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

- In said drawings: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the attachment and showing the lever and the other parts of the device in their initial positions during the rotation of the drum to wind thecable or chain, said drum being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a view showing the relative positions of the parts while the drum is released. Fig. 3 is a cen-' tral transverse section through the attaching plate and the parts thereon. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the attaching plate.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a 'base or attaching plate having an outstanding tubular boss 2 from which reinforcing webs 3 diverge, one of these webs terminating in an enlargement 4 constituting a bearing for a detent 5, .said bearing beingformed witha central outstanding boss 6 adapted toextend into an .55 a rounded end while the tongue 8 is'preferopening 7 formed in the detent.

Extending in opposite directions from the detent 5 are tongues 8-"and 9 respectively,

the tongue 9 being formed, preferably, with ably curved and pointed as shown. Extend-- ing from one edge of the detent at a point between the tongues 8 and 9 is a nose 10, the

said edge of the detent being curved frOm the nose to the rounded end of the tongue 9 1 so as thus to form a concavity, as indicated .at 12. The edge ofthe detent is also gradually curved from the nose 10 to the point of the tongue 8, as shown at 11.

A ratchet wheel 13 is mounted for ,rotation on the boss 2 and its hub 14 extends around one end portion of a drum 15 or the like which preferably projects into the boss 2, the said hub being attached to the drum 15 by means of a bolt 16 extending through the hub 14 and the drum 15. A'flexible element 17 such as a cable or chain is secured at one end to the drum 15 and is adapted to be wound thereon, this element constituting means for closing the movable bottom section or sections of a dumping wagon when the element is wound on the drum 15. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the parts to which this element 17 is attached as it can be connected thereto in any well known manner.

As shown in Fig. 1 one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 13 is normally engaged by the nose 10 of the detent 5 and the element 17 is. thus held against unwinding from .the

drum 15. A-ring 18 is mounted for rotation'on theboss 2 between plate land ratchet wheel 13 and this ring constitutes one end portion of a lever 19. A pawl 20 is fulcrumed on a boss 21 outstanding from the lever 19 and has one end portion, 22, so shaped as toengage any one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel under. normal conditions and as shown in Fig. 1. A curved finger 23 extends from the other end portion of the pawl and is adapted, under certain conditions, to move against the 'end 11- of tongue 8 as will be hereinafter described. A stop projection 24 extends from the lever below and in the path of the finger 23 and additional stop projections 25 and 26 extend from the lever 19 at points above the the same time slipping past the nose-10 of the detent 5. When the, lever is swung back" to its initial position the pawl will slip over the I teeth and the detent will hold the ratchet against return. movement, After the drum has beenrotated intermittently by oscillating lever'19 until the element17 has been wound to the desired extent' upon the drum, the pawl'is lifted out of engagement with the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel and the lever is brought to a substantially horizon- -tal position, as indicated by-dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the lever moves to this position a locking stud or projection27 which isv carried by ring 18 at apoint diametricallyopposite lever 19, moves between the ratchet wheel and the tongue '9 andbears against the curved edge 12 of the detent, thus holding said detent positively in engagement wlth the ratchet wheel and locking the drum against rotation in either direction. When it is desired to release the drum so as to permit the element 17 to un wind'freely therefrom, lever 19 is swung in a direction opposite to that indicated by 'the arrow in Fig. 1 until the projection '25 comes into contact with the .pointed end of the tongue 8. Said projection 25 thus rides along the curved edge 11 of the detent and the tongue 8 assumes aposition between the two projections 25 and 26, thus locking the lever against further movement toward the detent. At the same time the nose 10 of the detent is'lifted out of engagement with the teeth of the .ratchet wheel and the finger. 23

'of the pawl moves against the edge 11 of the'detent and thus lifts the butt 'end 22 of the pawl out of engagement with. the

ratchet wheel, the said ,finger moving against the projection 24. Thus it will be seen that both the detent and the pawl are lifted out of engagement with the ratchet wheel and, by reason of the coiiperation between tongue Sand projections '25 and 26, the movement of lever 19 is stopped and the detent is maintained out of contact with the ratchet wheel; The drum 15 and the ratchet wheel can thus freely rotate and the element 17 can unwind from the drum. As soon as the lever 19 is swung back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper projection 26' swings thedetent therewith dur-' the movement of-the lever,,

,ing a portion 0 after which'saiddetent gravitates so as to bring its nose 10 into engagement with the ratchet wheel. The-pawl 20 then shifts into engagement withthe ratchet wheel and the operation hereinbefore described can be repeated. 5

' Importance is attached to the fact that by mampulatlng the single lever, the 'flexi ble element .can be readily wound, unwinding:thereof can be positively preventedby locking the detent, and the ratchet wheel "can be released from all holding and actuating means so as torotate freely to unwind the flexible element. Only a single attaching' 'plate is necessary for carrying the vari-' ous parts of the device and as there are but four ofthe'se partsit will be seen that there is practically nothing in the structure to get out of order,

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a ratchet wheel, of a lever mounted for oscillation, means for holding the wheel against rotation in one direction, means carried by the lever/for actuating the wheel, and additional means carried by said lever for entering between the I ratchet wheel and the holding means to lock said holding means active position, and means carried by the lever for shifting said holding and actuating means out of active .positions.

4 2. The combination with an attaching plate, and a bearing element outstanding therefrom, of a lever engaging and adapted to oscillate upon said element, aratchet wheel mounted for rotation on said element, a pawl upon the lever, a detent r mounted upon the attaching plate and noragams't rotation in one direction, means movable with the lever for entering between the detent and ratchet wheel to hold the detent in engagement with'thera-tchet wheel, and means movable with the lever for engaging the ratchet wheel to actuate it.

. 9o 1 mally engaging the ratchet wheel to hold it 3. The combination with an attaching 1 plate, and a bearing element outstanding therefrom, of a lever engaging and adapted to oscillate uponsaid element, a ratchet wheel mounted for rotation on said element,

a detent mounted upon the attaching'plate I to oscillate upon said element, a ratchet Wheel mounted for rotation on said element, a detent mounted upon the attaching plate and normally engaging the ratchet wheel tohold it against rotation in one direction, means movable with the'leverfor entering between the ratchet wheel and the detent to, hold the detent in engagement with the ratchet wheeL-a' paw-l carriedby the lever and constituting means for actuating the ratchet wheel, means upon the pawl and co-' operating with the detent for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet wheel, andtco operating means upon the lever and the de- 115 therefrom, of a lever engaging and adapted" Y tent for disengaging the detent from the ratchet'wheel' simultaneously with the disengagement of the pawl.

5. The combination with a ratchet wheel, of a detent normally engaging the ratchet wheel, a lever for rotating said ratchet wheel, and means movable with the lever and into position between the wheel and detent for binding the detent in engagement with the ratchet wheel.

6. The combination with a ratchet 'wheel, of a lever mounted for oscillation, means for holding said wheel against rotation in one direction, and separate means carried by "the lever for respectively actuating the wheel, entering between the ratchet wheel and the holdingmeans to lock said holding means in active position, shifting said holding means. and actuating means out of active positions, and cooperating with the holding means to limit the movement of the lever in one direction and for imparting an initial movement to said holding means toward its active position. e

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as-my own, 1 have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HOMER L. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

E. D. GARDNER,- E, B. KETTERING. 

